Certainly, the MS guys have IE experience – but one of them also led Access, and another was working on the new Windows release. Either Google’s also planning to launch its own midrange SQL database and its own desktop OS, or past performance may not be the best guide to the future.

Skills in building desktop software (and network applications, come to that) are relatively transferable, so it’s quite possible that Google just wanted some talented people to work on its current projects. My preferred theory, though, is that it hired them to scare the hell out of its competitors.

Prediction for next week: Google will recruit Sony’s head of PS3 software developmen. The rumours will fly about a free, handheld GConsole, which contains a gigabyte of flash RAM, but scans all your gameplay to show you adverts based on your performance.